Stuff You Can Do with a Network

Now that you’ve get your network functioning, it’s time to start
taking advantage of the features it provides. In this section:

Virtual Private Networking

Accessing an FTP Site in Explorer

Controlling Another Computer Remotely

Managing the Nameserver Cache

See the section, Section
7.5, for some cool things you can do with a wireless
network.

Virtual Private Networking

Virtual Private Networking (VPN) is a system whereby a
workgroup of two or more computers can be connected by
an Internet connection rather than a physical cable. In theory, VPN
provides the security and privacy of a closed environment, without the
astronomical cost of a private wide-area network.

The technology used in Virtual Private Networking — either the
Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) or the
Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) — allows you to
create a private “tunnel” across your Internet connection. With a VPN,
you can accomplish tasks previously available only over a LAN, such as
file and printer sharing, user authentication, and even networked
gaming. Figure 7-14
illustrates a typical scenario with a tunnel connecting a single
computer to a remote workgroup.